Outbreaks Near Me

The Outbreaks Near Me application is available for free to use on the iPhone and Android mobile phones. “With HealthMap's Outbreaks Near Me application, you will have all of HealthMap's latest real-time disease outbreak information at your fingertips.” http://www.healthmap.org/outbreaksnearme/ Once you open the app, you will “see all the current outbreaks in your neighborhood, including news about H1N1 influenza ("swine flu"). Search and browse outbreak reports on the interactive map, and set up the app to alert you with a notice automatically whenever an outbreak is occurring in your area.” http://www.healthmap.org/outbreaksnearme/

A person can notify an outbreak that is not on the map yet by using the app's unique outbreak reporting feature. The individual will be credited and the report will be featured on the website. http://www.healthmap.org/outbreaksnearme/ Then the users can interact with the HealthMap team and participate in the public health surveillance process. http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel559.html The application allows users to submit photos of sick people in particular locations. http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/09/02/2009-09-02_iswine_tracker_made_by_apple.html Individual also can take “pictures of situations and scenarios of, and/or leading to, disease and present them to the HealthMap system for review and eventual posting as an alert on the worldwide map.” http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel559.html

HealthMap co-founder John Brownstein, PhD, assistant professor in the Children's Hospital Informatics Program (CHIP), was quoted as saying. “We hope individuals will find the new app to be a useful source of outbreak information - locally, nationally, and globally. As people are equipped with more knowledge and awareness of infectious disease, the hope is that they will become more involved and proactive about public health." http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel559.html